Car-axle.



No. 808,301. PATENT-ED DEG. 26, 1905.'

W. A. MOGORMICK.

GAR AXLB.

APPLIOATION-FILED AUG.15,1905.

Inventor.

'UNITED STATES PAfrnNfr muon Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905 Application filed August 15,1905. Serial No.274,292.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER A. 'MCCOR- Mrox, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pulaski, in the county of Pulaski and State ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful Car-Axle, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to axles, and is primarily designed to provide animproved endwise-expansible axle for use in connection with railway-carsfor the purpose of maintaining the wheels upon the track throughout anyinequalities or differences in the gage thereof.

A further object of the invention is to have one end portion of the axleindependent of the other end portion in order that either wheel may runfaster than the other when passing around a curve, thereby to preventbinding of the wheels upon curved portions of the track.

It is also proposed to enable the mounting of the present axle in theordinary forms of journal-boxes now commonly employed upon change orcar-trucks without requiring any alteration therein.

In carrying out the invention it is proposed to have the axle made up oftwo sections, and in this connection it is also proposed to assemble thesame in such a manner as to render the present form of axle as strongand durable as the ordinary singlepiece axle.

lVith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a car-axleof the present invention, the connecting box-or sleeve being in section.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the `axle-sections and thecar-wheel carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1,showing a modification.

- Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

As hereinbefore indicated, the present axle is formed in half-sections,which are duplicates, and have been designated in general in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings by the reference characters A and B, respectively. Eachaxlesection of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided about midwayof its ends with an annular groove or channel 1, and at opposite sidesof this channel are other narrower and shallower grooves 2 and 3,designed as oilchannels for collecting and retaining surplus oil, andthey may also be used as races for antifriction-balls. The innerextremity of the axle is reduced, as at 4, while its 'outer end isshaped to produce a journal-terminal 5 of any approved or well-knownform, so as to be received within any of the journal-boxes now commonlyemployed upon car-trucks. FixedV upon the axle at the inner end of thespindle is an ordinary car-wheel 6, which is o n by a drop-forgingprocess.

Upon particular reference to Fig. .l of the drawings it will be seenthat two of the foregoing-described axle-sections are assembled inlongitudinal alinement and inclosed within a tubular openended metallicbox or sleeve 7, the inner ends of the axle-sections being spaced andyieldably maintained in spaced relation by means of a helical spring 8,which embraces the reduced terminals 4 of the axlesections and bears inopposite directions against the annular shoulders produced by saidreduced portions.

For the purpose of preventing endwise separation of each axle-sectionfrom the sleeve or boxing 7 I employ one or more keys 9 for cooperationwith the annularchannel 1, each key being received within an opening 10in the sleeve and provided with a head 1l, engaging the exterior of thesleeve or box and preferably countersunk therein. A band 12 embraces thekeys and the sleeve or box and has its ends connected in any suitablemanner-as, for instance, by having its ends turned outwardly and piercedby a suitable fastening 13, as best shown in Fig. 3 oi' the drawings. Bypreference the outer end of each key is provided with a notch 14 for thereception of the retaining-band, so as to prevent edgewise slipping ofthe latter from the keys. It will be noted that each key encast integralwith the axle or assembled there- ICO gages the inner edge of theadjacent channel, so as to prevent separation of the axle-sections, andeach channel is wider than the key in order that the axle-section may bemoved inwardly against the tension of the spring 8, whereby the axle mayautomatically accommodate itself to any reductions in the gage of thetrack.

In rounding a curve one or both of the axlesections will yield endwise,so as to cushion and absorb the shocks commonly incident in roundingcurves. Moreover, as the axle-sections are independent of one anotherthe outer section and its wheel are free to rotate faster than the innerwheel, and thereby prevent binding of the Wheels when rounding a curve.

Although the axle-sections are capable of rotating within the sleeve orbox 7, the axlesections and sleeve ordinarily rotate together whentraveling over a straight portion of track; but there is sufficientlooseness to enable independent rotation of the axle-sections whenrounding curves and under other conditions where such independentrotation is essential or desirable.

In view of the independent rotation of the axle-sections within the boxor sleeve 7 it is proposed to provide for lubricating these elements byhaving the space between the inner ends of the axle-sections constitutea lubricant-containing chamber or receptacle which may be filled throughan opening 16 in the box or sleeve, which is normally closed by athreaded plug 17 or other suitable means.

A slightly-modified form of the invention has been shown in Fig. 1,wherein instead of the form of keys 9 in Fig. 1 I employ setscrews 18and provide two annular channels l;L instead of a single channel 1, asinFigs. 1 and 2. Moreover, the inner ends of the axlesections are notreduced and the spring 8a abuts directly against the inner extremitiesof the axle-sections. Other than the slight changes just mentioned thetwo forms of axle are precisely the same.

One of the main advantages of the present invention which results fromthe sectional feature of the axle is that each axle-section and itswheel is an exact duplicate of the other, and when either of the wheelsbecomes worn it may be replaced without discarding the entire axle andthe two wheels, as with the ordinary 'form of car-axle. Moreover, theyielding of the axle-sections and the independent rotation thereofentirely obviates torsional strain thereon, and hence materiallyprolongs the life of the axle, while at the same time it permits thewheels to automatically accommodate themselves to variances in thetrack-gage and also absorbs jars incident to rounding curves.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A car-axlecomprising independent axlesections, a sleeve embracing the sections,and means connecting the sleeve and the individual axle-sections topermit rotation of the axle-sections within the sleeve and also topermit a limited separating movement of said axle-sections.

2. A car-axle comprising independent axlesections, each section beingprovided with an annular channel, a sleeve embracing the axlesectionsand covering the channels thereof, and keys carried by the sleeve andentering the respective channels to permit rotation ofl ,theaxle-sections the channels being wider than the keys to permit oflimited endwise play of the axle-sections.

3. A car-axle comprising independent axlesections, a sleeve embracingthe sections, means to permit limited separation of the sections withinthe sleeve, and a spring interposed between and bearing against theinner ends of the axle-sections.

1. A car-axle comprising spaced independent axle sections provided withannular channels, a sleeve embracing the axle-sections and covering thechannels thereof, keys carried by the sleeve and engaging the channel topermit rotation thereof within the sleeve, the channels being wider thanthe keys to permit limited endwise movement of the axle-sections and aspring housed within the sleeve between and bearing against the innerends of the axle-sections.

5. A car-axle comprising duplicate halfsections, each section beingequipped with a car-wheel and having its outer end projected beyond thewheel and formed into a journal, a sleeve loosely embracing theaxle-sections, means carried by the sleeve to permit of a limitedendwise play of the axle-sections, and a spring interposed between andbearing against the inner ends of the axle-sections.

In a car-axle, the combination of duplicate axle-sections, each sectionbeing provided with a car-wheel with its outer end projected beyond thewheel and formed into a journal, the inner end portion of theaxlesection being provided with an annular channel and annular groovesat opposite sides of the channel, a sleeve loosely embracing the innerend portions of the axle-sections and covering the channels and thegrooves, keys carried by the sleeve and disposed in the respectivechannels, each channel exceeding in width the width of the respectivekeys to permit of a limited endwise play of the axlesections, a helicalspring housed within the sleeve between and bearing against the innerends of the axle-sections, the space within the sleeve and between theaxle-sections constituting a lubricating-chamber, the sleeve beingprovided with a lling-opening located between the axle-sections, and aremovable closure for the filling-opening.

7. In a caraxle, the combination with spaced axle-sections havingannular chan- IOO IIO

nels7 of a sleeve embracing the axle-sections and covering the channels,said sleeve being provided with an opening in communication with eachchannel, removable keys fitted in the openings of the sleeve andentering the channels7 and retaining-bands embracing the respective keysand the sleeve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WALTER A. MOCORMICK.

Witnesses:

J. H. JocHUM, Jr., E. K. STEWART.

